At the middle school level, we often notice gaps in executive functioning skills (e.g., attention, planning, organization, etc.). For example, within Central Park’s Respite Room (a
short-term skills-focused small general education class with a targeted intervention teacher, full-time social worker, and general education core class teachers), students focus for a period of time on a specific goal within executive functioning, among other skills. Many of our students have areas of need with improving on-task behaviors, organizing their materials, and showing up to class on time. A good long-term goal of improving these behaviors would be to see increases
in the students’ grades. Prompt attendance would likely improve a student’s performance, for example. However, increases in grades following an improvement in this behavior may appear more incremental and may take longer to see a large effect. Instead, Goal Attainment Scaling
(GAS) may prove an evidence-based, practical solution (Brady et al, 2014; Coffee, 2009).
between the teacher, social worker, and student in a simple way that can then be combined for maximum fidelity and ease of implementation. Organization of materials would almost immediately lead to an increase in class assignments being turned in. It would also increase teacher ratings of the student’s level of organization and self-monitoring checklists related to organization.
Using a five-point scaling system, which will be explained below, information could be rated in the following manner:
Rating
|
Data Point 1: Percentage of Assignments Turned in on Time
(Responsibility: Teacher) |
Data Point 2:
Social Worker Ratings of Organization (Responsibility: Social Worker) |
Data Point 3:
Self-Monitoring of Organization Checklists (Responsibility: Student) |
2
|
82% or higher
|
Much better than when entered program
(neat desk, can locate assignment immediately, can quickly locate own pencil, etc.) |
81% or higher
|
1
|
76-81%
|
Slightly better than when entered program
(somewhat organized desk, can locate assignment within 1 minute, can locate own pencil within 1 minute, etc.) |
61-80%
|
70-75%
|
Same as when entered program
(somewhat messy desk, can locate assignment within 5 minutes, needs help finding pencil, etc.) |
41-60%
|
-1
|
64-69%
|
Slightly worse than when entered program
(messy desk, can locate assignment within 10 minutes, needs help finding pencil, etc.) |
21-40%
|
-2
|
63% or lower
|
Much worse than when entered program
(extremely messy desk, completely loses assignments, does not ask for help finding pencil, etc.) |
20% or lower
|
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